Minneapolis woman who died after fall from dorm window is identified

A 19-year-old woman fell from a sixth-story window of Yudof Hall, near Coffman Memorial Union off Washington Avenue S.E. on the University of Minnesota campus. (Pioneer Press: Raya Zimmerman)

A 19-year-old Minneapolis woman who fell six stories from a University of Minnesota residence hall died early Sunday morning, police said.

The woman, Stephanie Lehr, died at Hennepin County Medical Center after falling about 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Yudof Hall, at 220 Delaware St. S.E.

Lehr apparently tripped and fell into a courtyard after climbing through a dorm-room window to reach a small rooftop over part of the residence hall, U Deputy Police Chief Chuck Miner said.

He said the death appeared to be accidental.

"We take the safety and security of all our visitors on campus, if they are a student or not, very seriously, and our thoughts go out to the family and friends of this young lady," Miner said. "It was obviously a very tragic death at a young age."

Lehr died at 2 a.m. Sunday from blunt force injuries, the Hennepin County medical examiner said Sunday night.

A member of Lehr's family declined to comment Sunday night.

Lehr was visiting a friend, who was a student at the university. No other people were believed to be in the room at the time of the fall, Miner said.

One woman resident of the hall witnessed the fall, Miner said.

There was alcohol in the dorm room at the time, but Miner said it was too soon to tell if it was a contributing factor in the woman's death.

The Hennepin County medical examiner will prepare a toxicology report to determine whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the death, Miner said.

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The U will offer grief counseling and support to students affected by the death, Miner said. The friend of Lehr's has moved to a different room, Miner said.

Miner said there have been no accidental falls in recent memory or even instances in which university police have been notified of people on the roof.

The roof contains mechanical equipment and is not intended for people to congregate.

It was not known whether Lehr was going to or coming from the rooftop.

Miner said a screen had been removed from the window where Lehr fell.

The accident occurred on the northwest side of Yudof Hall, home to 421 students, a mix of freshmen and upperclassmen.